Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Ed* is my office mascot, and has been since 2001. While he changes incarnations every few years, his name remains Ed. He is a Betta, and carries out his office responsibilities with great enthusiasm.

So it came as a shock to start my day this morning to find that Ed had attempted suicide sometime during the night, and was flopping around on the floor next to his bowl. He's since been returned to his home, and suicide precautions have been taken by lowering the water level.

I dissolved some Prozac in his bowl, and called for an emergent visit from the aquatic psychiatrist.

*Not his real name. Ed comes from a family with a long tradition of service in the health care industry, and has requested anonymity due to concerns his parents will learn he's working for a lowly neurologist, instead of a surgical subspecialty.

I had a betta I won at the Christmas raffle...he freaked me out by getting very animated whenever I approached his bowl. My husband said it was because he knew I was the one who fed him, but I couldn't take the pressure....he was just so needy!

I moved him outside to the garden pond and he did very well. One day, he was gone. No more fish for me, unless they come on a plate with lots of butter.

Dude, a bowl? That's like forcing a fat American to live in a Japanese hotel room w/ no AC/heat. The 2 gallon here is a much healthier environment: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752291&lmdn=Price

but a 5 gal. with a filter and small heater is much better for "Ed". :)

It's amazing what bettas can survive. My daughter had one that attempted suicide twice...once we found him in a basket of laundry and the other time he ended up in the floor register. Got quite fuzzy both times yet managed to survive the ordeals.

I want another one, but I fear the odds of surviving the cat we now have would not be in its favor.

I lost a betta to some sort of stress induced fish disease which caused him to behave erratically, including jumping out of the water (so said the guy at Petco). He didn't make it (the betta, not the Petco guy). My new betta has a lid on his tank.

We used to have bettas. I tried it twice- once when the kids were real little and they killed it by taking it out of the bowl to play with it or something (I was out of the room, obviously, found it out afterward, but they admitted it.) I waited a year or more I think and tried again- nope, still too young- the younger one (boy) took him out and squished him between his fingers- No more fishies for this house- the dog fares much better :-D

Long time fan, first time writing in. Bettas are notorious jumpers, they are supposed to be kept in tanks with lids on them. Also, no bowls! One gallon tank is the BARE minimum. I am a betta professional, I know all about what makes these little guys happy. I even run a little rescue. If you want a betta care sheet (or if anyone does), please e-mail me at my above username. I will be THRILLED to spread my betta knowledge. ;)

Welcome to my whining!

This blog is entirely for entertainment purposes. All posts about patients may be fictional, or be my experience, or were submitted by a reader, or any combination of the above. Factual statements may or may not be accurate.

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